SIMPLY CHILE

From Santiago you will fly to Punta Arenas, the main entry point to Chilean Patagonia. Here a vehicle will be waiting to take you on the 5 hour drive into the Torres del Paine National Park.

Celebrated for its unique wildlife (which includes pumas, guanacos and black-necked swans) and dramatic landscapes – featuring towering granite massifs, glaciers and emerald lakes – Torres del Paine is not only one of the country’s natural treasures but a designated World Biosphere Reserve.

Your hotel is a former estancia/ranch and at the start of many of the trail-heads. It’s the perfect base to explore the park and means journey times are often much shorter than other hotels.

The next three days will be spent exploring the region via a multitude of exciting excursions offered by the hotel, from hiking and horse riding to visits to famous lookout points. Activities are in small groups and are chosen on arrival at the hotel.

Stay: Four nights at Las Torres – All-inclusive including activities in small groups

Today you will return to Santiago, a logistical night required when travelling from the far south to the north of the country.

Stay: One night at the Holiday Inn Santiago Airport – Bed & breakfast

From the urban attractions of Santiago comes the rugged drama of Chile’s northern territory and the world’s driest desert.

After flying into Calama, you will be transferred to the colourful town of San Pedro de Atacama which sits in the middle of a lush green oasis. In the afternoon you will head out on a tour of the famous Death and Moon Valleys, and stay to watch the sunset over the dramatic stone and sand formations.

The following morning you will make the short drive to the 3,000-year-old pre-Columbian village of Tulor where you’ll find the oldest archaeological evidence of human settlement in the valley. Next comes the Pukara de Quitor fortress, and in the afternoon the spectacular Atacama Salt Lake – formed millions of years ago and dominated by impressive rock formations and sweeping salt flats.

Early on day eleven you will visit the highest geothermal field on the planet – El Tatio – at 4,300 metres above sea level. At dawn you’ll be witness to spurts of stream escaping from the geyser blowholes, plus steaming ponds encrusted with dazzling salt crystals. Before returning to San Pedro, you will make a visit to the village of Machuca, a pit stop for llama caravans travelling along the Inca Highway.

Your hotel is on the outskirts of town and similar to Las Torres in Patagonia, includes a variety of activities in small-groups.

Stay: Four nights at Cumbres San Pedro de Atacama – All-inclusive including activities in small groups